Citizenship Amendment Bill Protests Bring Northeast To Halt, Vehicles Set On Fire, Assam Worst Hit

The protests against the Citizenship Amendment Bill intensified in various states of the Northeast region with several reports of stone-pelting, arson coming from Assam and Manipur. From Guwahati to Dibrugarh, the normal life was thrown out of gear over the 11-hour shutdown called by Opposition parties against the Modi government’s Citizenship Amendment Bill. Parties and organisations such as the Congress, AIUDF, All Assam Students Union, Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti, All Arunachal Pradesh Students' Union, Khasi Students Union and the Naga Students Federation are backing the bandh in Assam and Tripura. However, in Guwahati, there was no impact of the bandh in the Bengali-dominated Barak Valley.

In Maligaon area of the city, a government-run bus was pelted with stones and a scooter set on fire, sources said. Train services across Assam were affected as picketers squatted on tracks,a spokesperson of the Railways said. Vehicles - both private and public - stayed off the roads, the official sources said, adding that government-run Assam State Transport Corporation (ASTC) buses plied between Guwahati city and the LGB airport, with police escort.

All scheduled examinations were rescheduled by the Universities in view of the bandh. In Dibrugarh district, bandh supporters clashed with CISF personnel. Three of them sustained injuries as they tried to prevent the workers of Oil India Ltd (OIL) to enter office at Duliajan area. Protestors burnt tyres and blocked national highways to stop movement of vehicles in various parts of Assam.

According to the Indian Express, the Manipur People Against CAB (Manpac), which was spearheading the agitation in the state, has announced suspension of its stir on Monday, after Union Home Minister Amit Shah said the to be brought under Inner Line Permit (ILP) regime. However, the All Moran Students' Union (AMSU) is still supporting the bandh.

According to the proposed legislation, members of Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities, who have come from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan, till December 31, 2014 and facing religious persecution there, will not be treated as illegal immigrants and will be given Indian citizenship.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday night expressed delight over the passage of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill in the Lok Sabha, saying the proposed law is in line with India's centuries old ethos of assimilation and belief in humanitarian values.

"Delighted that the Lok Sabha has passed the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019 after a rich and extensive debate. I thank the various MPs and parties that supported the Bill. This Bill is in line with India's centuries old ethos of assimilation and belief in humanitarian values," he tweeted.